


Standing Guard, Going Back

by Cyanne



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Drabble, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-02
Updated: 2011-07-02
Packaged: 2017-10-20 23:06:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/218074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyanne/pseuds/Cyanne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Third Drabble Tree Submission; not what it might appear to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Standing Guard, Going Back

He knew Ronon was standing guard at the edge of their hiding place among the cold ancient stones, just as he knew Teyla was standing guard over him, both following Sheppard's orders as they would to the end. They were roughly a hundred yards from the gate and four hundred light years from home. Rodney kept his head down and his eyes tightly closed, clutching the almost fully charged ZPM to his chest and dreading the explosion he knew would soon come.

This ZPM they'd gotten in a fair trade, but only scant minutes after the deal had been finalized the Ikadians had decided they wanted it back- and had sent a platoon of warriors armed with projectile weapons to get it.

The alien ground shook and the pale orange sky lit up in a deadly glow just as the gunfire in the distance ceased. He felt Teyla pulling him up, urging him to run; saw Ronon up ahead dialing the gate. But there was no one coming from the west to meet them.

And Rodney knew John was dead.

In a daze he watched Ronon run into the wormhole and heard Teyla's footsteps close behind. He felt like he was trying to run underwater, suffocating in almost overwhelming grief, and he realized that he couldn't abandon John on this godforsaken planet.

With a gentleness he hadn't known he was capable of at that moment, Rodney carefully rolled the ZPM through the gate, barely sidestepping Teyla as her momentum carried her through, firing behind her as she ran.

If all he could do was die here with John, it would be better than any life alone. This way neither of them would be left behind. He turned to run after his lover and the next thing he knew he was flat on his back on the gateroom floor, staring up at John's face, John breathing into his mouth, John's body heavy and warm and alive above him.


End file.
